Leaving New York, never easy
by Isadtd
Summary: Beckett closes her mother's case. But now she needs to discover how to make a wall crumble
1. Chapter 1

Author's note : It started because of the REM split. Hence the title. Then it wasn't about that anymore.

Leaving New york, never easy...

* * *

><p>The blinking lights of the ambulances and police cars make her face shines in an odd way in the dark. Castle can't tear his eyes away from her. She's standing ten feet from him, talking to Gates. She's fidgeting with the new bandage on her hand. He's worried about the blood he sees on the side of her face, but maybe it's not hers.<p>

"Castle, you okay ?"

The voice startles him. He turns to Esposito and nods.

"They're taking everybody into custody. Including that scumbag", the detective says motioning to the politician. Castle quickly wonders if they will let him wear his expensive suit while he rots in jail for all his sins, including the murder of Johanna Beckett.

"How's Ryan ?", Castle asks.

"He'll pull through. The bullet went straight through his arm. He's on his way to the hospital. You should go home, Castle."

"I want to stay."

The detective follows the writer's eyes, fixed on Beckett.

"They're gonna audition her. It'll take all night. Come on, Castle, I'm giving you a ride home."

Regretfully, he admits that Esposito has a point. On their way to the car, he tries to get her attention. When she finally looks at him, she smiles and mouthes "Thank you". It warms his heart. She's okay.

* * *

><p>The next few days, he feels helpless. He is. He goes to the precinct everyday but nobody needs him here. Beckett is in meetings at 1 Police Plaza with Gates and the DA. He's not allowed there. They are wrapping it all up. He did most of the investigating but he knows he can't take credit for it or it will arm the case in court. So he goes to the hospital to visit Ryan. The young detective is going to need some reeducation for his arm but he's fine. They speak and laugh and play cards. But there too, he's not really needed. Jenny is here. And his wife is all Ryan needs. So he goes back home to write and pester his mother. He calls Alexis often, too often ; he knows but he misses her.<p>

The days go by, all alike. Until one morning, his heart soars at seeing his detective at her desk. He's glad he stuck to bringing coffee : she smiles at him when he puts it down in front of her.

"Thank you, Castle."

"You're welcome", he answers, plopping in his chair. "So, no more meeting at 1PP ?"

"Nope. The case is ready. There's a press conference later today about the whole thing."

"Good... How do you feel ?"

She smiles tightly at him. "I don't know. Not bad I guess, but... I just thought it would be more... liberating." She shakes his head. "I'm not making any sense."

He extends his hand to cover hers. She doesn't pull back. "Hey ! It's okay. It's a lot to take in", he offers.

"Castle ?"

"Hum ?"

"I... Gates... The thing is...", she stutters and sighs in exasperation. She gets up. "Follow me", she tells him heading towards the empty break room. She closes the door behind them. She talks fast, getting it all out in one breath.

"Gates ordered me to take some vacations. Three weeks away from New York, if possible from the US, until the scandal dies down. So I'm going to Europe." She stares at him patiently, almost nervously.

"Oh !" He's feeling a bit dizzy and sits down on the couch. "Okay. Hum, do you need, maybe, a trip companion ?", he asks hopefully.

She bits her lower lip because she knows she's gonna crush him. "I'm going with my dad. We both need to not be here when it's all out in the press. I'm not sure he can handle it."

"Of course." He knows he's an ass for being jealous, of her dad of all people.

"Castle...", she starts walking towards him but he gets up quickly and interrupts.

"No, no, it's okay. If you need some tips and stuff. Where are you going exactly ?", he pauses. "When are you leaving ?"

She sighs. "Tonight." She wants to reassure him, to tell him it's gonna be okay. That she's never been closer to "ready" but she can't find the word. She's not the writer in this relationship. "I'll be back before you know it." He just nods. He stares at her for the rest of the day while she does paperwork. He offers to take her and her dad to the airport but she declines. They leave the building together and Beckett decides to surprise him. She pulls him into a hug.

"See you in three weeks", she whispers in his ear before walking to her car. On the sidewalk, Castle doesn't know what to feel anymore.

* * *

><p>To be continued...<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

The first card Castle receives from her surprises him. In a very good way. For it to arrive so early, she must have sent it as soon as her plane touched down. It's Big Ben, so she's in London. What she wrote is something silly about weird accents, strange food, "mind the gap please" and problems with Oyster cards. It makes him laugh. He puts the card on his fridge's door. His mother points it out later because he has never, ever, pinned anything to the fridge before. Even Alexis' drawings (those went to his office, framed). Castle shrugs and Martha rolls her eyes.

"Whipped", she mumbles.

"What ?"

"Nothing, darling", she says, louder, opening the fridge.

The second card comes a few days later. It's from Paris, a view of Saint-Germain. And he wishes he was there with her. Because Paris is Paris. Even if he knows from experience it's not as glamourous as one might think. It's still Paris, city of love. Or is that Venice in Italy ? She writes about bikes for rent at every corner called velib, some "bateau-mouche" and le café de Flore. "You would love it. Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir and Aragon did !", she wrote. He knows, he's been there already. But he loves that she thought of him and pictures her sitting at the "terrasse". The card joins the first one on the fridge. This time, Martha doesn't comment. She just smiles.

The third card comes from Barcelona. It pictures the Sagrada Familia. Apparently she's in awe of Gaudi, the architect. He's never been there (he was more a Ibiza kind of guy) but wants to go because she wrote about walks in this crazy Guel Park, going to a wonderful soccer game and beaches. So, okay, maybe it's more the beaches that appeal to him. He's only a man. A man who knows what she looks like in a swim suit. The card also goes to the fridge. Martha just gives it a quick glance.

"Oh Barcelona !", is all she says.

Everyday, he rips through the mail. He nearly misses the fourth card, from Napoli. It's actually from Mount Vesuvius. The ascension was apparently long, hot, tiring and not smelling good. "But amazing : the thing's still smoking ! And Pompeii is quite chilling... until it's midday and we're rotting in the sun again..." He laughs. She seems to have a good time. He's both glad she does and upset it's not with him. He's rereading it for the tenth time when his mother snatches the card from his hand and sticks it next to the others.

The next one is a view of a beautiful mountain lake. She apparently went sailing on Lake Léman and is eating too much chocolate. He's never been to Geneva and wonders why. It looks gorgeous. He makes a mental note to ask Paula if his books sell well in Switzerland. The card also goes on the fridge.

The last one is an e-mail. He's disappointed until he realizes she's been gone two weeks and five days. She's coming back soon. She sent a picture of the Brandenburg Gate. She says she went to some awesome concerts. She dragged her dad to a techno one. He didn't like it. He didn't appreciate the shopping around Alexanderplatz either. "He's really difficult", she wrote. He hits the reply button and types : "Hey. Why aren't you in the picture ?" He adds :"Miss you" but then erases it, just signing R.C. and sending it. He prints her e-mail/card.

When he comes back from the kitchen, he has her answer. "I was taking the picture !", he reads. He chuckles and clicks on reply. He refrains from mentioning the sickening amount of exclamation points and just writes : "Jim could have taken it. I just want to see if you really ate too much chocolate in Geneva." He quickly sends it, hoping to have another quick answer. It's nearly instantaneous.

"Ha ha ! I danced it off in Berlin. For the pic, Dad was sulking at the hotel by this point. Gotta go. See you soon."

Soon ? He can't wait to see her.

* * *

><p>To be continued...<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Beckett stands nervously in front of Castle's door. Her hair is still wet from her quick shower. She's clutching a wrapped box in her hand. A glance at her watch tells her it's quite late. But he often stays up way into the night to write. She can't back down anyway. She's pretty sure he won't mind either. So, she takes a deep breath and knocks. She hears immediately some noise behind the door. Good call : he's still awake. The door opens and his face lights up at seeing her. She beams at him. They stare at each other with stupid smiles plastered on their face. She didn't know just how much she missed him until now. He looks ready to engulf her in a tight hug but doesn't. They're still in some limbo regarding their relationship and he doesn't want to push it. She came here exactly to push it.

"Hey Castle !", she says. "Can I come in ?"

"Yeah, sure. I mean of course. Yeah. Come in. Hi. Drink ?" He steps aside. She shakes her head no and he tries not to read too much in her barely hidden mocking smile over his stammering. "So you're back ?", he asks, directing her to the couch.

"Just a few hours ago", she explains as he sits down next to her.

He controls his features to play it cool but he's dancing inside. 'She came to me immediately, she came to me immediately', his inner voice chants.

"Did you have a good trip ? Thanks for the cards by the way."

"Very good trip. A bit exhausting but very, very, good."

"I'm glad..." he pauses, picking his next words carefully. "Even if it wasn't the same without you here." It's as close as "I missed you" that he's ready to go, afraid she will bolt if he says it straight. But she stuns him.

"I missed you", she tells him with a smile. She continues before he can recover. "That's why I wanted to give you your present right away." She shoves the box out to him awkwardly. He grins like a kid on Christmas morning. He rips the paper apart, revealing a transparent plastic box. Inside, a piece of concrete with some graffiti on it. A label on it reads : "Berlin Wall".

He looks up at her. She's biting on her lower lip, a clear indication that she's nervous.

"Thank you ?.. You know it's fake, right ?"

She frowns at him, her mouth distorting to the side. "I bought it more for the symbol."

"Of the end of communism in Europe ?", he asks hoping it's not that.

She's slightly annoyed and wonders if he's that dense on purpose. "No !" She watches, fascinated, as his adam's apple bobs. She realizes then that he's afraid to move, afraid that he's reading her wrong. He needs a clearer message. So she leans in, cupping his face with her hands and plants one on him. She pulls away and says : "Nothing to do with communism." She enjoys the emotions that are playing on his face : surprise, happiness, excitement, lust. Their lips connect again and he deepens the kiss quickly. He gathers her in his arms, pulling her close. She wraps her arms around his neck, caressing his hair. But before she gets too lost in him, she knows she has something else to say. So when he pushes her back down on the couch, she breaks the kiss.

"I love you. Too."

He smiles brightly and takes her lips again. Then the penny drops. He's hovering above her on the sofa, looking down at her with a slight frown.

"Wait ! Too ?"

It's swim or sink, Beckett knows. She has to make this explanation good.

"I remembered."

"Since when ?" He's confused. Anyone would be at less.

"I never not remembered." The hurt in his eyes makes her heart aches. "I didn't know what to do. I took the easy way and I'm sorry", she babbles as he sits back away from her. She sits up too. "But I wanted to wait until I was ready to say it back. I didn't want to take the risk to lose you. I didn't want you to think I was rejecting you because I wasn't. I love you, and I loved you then... I just wasn't ready yet. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. But I didn't know what else to do."

He's silent and it worries her. He's watching her intently, his face serious. She said all she wanted to say. She looks at him, trying to convey all that she feels with her eyes.

His mind is reeling. He's happy, he's hurt, he's in love, he's disappointed, he's furious, he understands but doesn't, he knows he lied too, steering her away from the investigation - even if it never came up. He wants to admit it now but isn't ready to.

"Please, say something", she begs.

"I don't know what to say. You lied to me. For 18 months !" 'Just like I did', his inner voice adds but he pushes the thought away.

"I'm sorry", she repeats, getting up to pace in his living room. She lets the silence fall for a minute then asks, standing in front of him. "But do you understand why ?" What she really wants to know is if he can forgive her.

He thinks about his answer. Finally, he gets up. His arms encircles her. "You were wrong. You can't lose me." He kisses her. Completely, passionately. They are both aware that its neither an answer, nor his forgiveness. It's just the beginning of their new relationship. Just as messed up as before. The same but different.

* * *

><p>It's supposed to end here. But I can be – easily – convinced to continue. So tell me ! (If that's not a clever ploy to get reviews, I don't know what that is :p )<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Told you, I'm easy to convince but the reviews feel nice though so thanks ! I hope I minimized the number of mistakes in this one.

Also I forgot the disclaimer because the idea that I would own Castle is ridiculous.

* * *

><p>It's 5 AM and Beckett's wide awake. She quickly calculates that it's 11 AM where she's last been, in Berlin. So it's no surprise she can't sleep. The man next to her, on the other end, sleeps like a log. Castle doesn't wake when she traces patterns on his bare back, as she follows his muscles' lines. He doesn't either when she plants butterflies kisses on his shoulder blades. She debates internally : waking him or not. She's pretty sure he wouldn't mind the wake up call but they only.. went to bed... a few hours earlier. So she lays there, naked next to him, observing him. It's only fair, he usually is the one staring.<p>

She thinks back to their night, smiling and blushing. She wishes they had talked more, though. Clear the air about the shooting and the last 18 months. She didn't even think to ask about her mother's case and the repercussions here in the press. In Europe, she voluntarily stayed away from the news. She caught a glimpse of the man behind her mother's death on TV once and quickly changed the channel.

Her thoughts wander towards those dark memories of the night they took them down. She doesn't want to relive it. Not here, she doesn't want to quit this state of bliss. But staying here when she so obviously not going back to sleep will only lead to more thinking. So she gets up and gathers her clothes. She puts them on quietly before slipping out of the bedroom.

Once in the hall, she realizes that she has a choice to make. Either stay and take the risk to run into Martha at some point - thank god Alexis is in college - or leave and risk upsetting Castle. She doesn't want him to think she's not all in, but she really can't stand staying awake in a bed for that long. And she doesn't feel like running into his mother just yet... She's going to the precinct, she decides, and she will leave a note.

In his office, she ponders what to write. She finally opts for short and to the point. She sneaks back in the bedroom, let the sheet of paper on the pillow. One last kiss on his - muscular- shoulder, one last longing glance at his - perfect – ass and she's out.

It's barely 7, the bullpen of the 12th is quiet. She walks to her desk with a smile. It's good to be back, she thinks, until she spots a post-it on the pile of files.

"Beckett. You forgot to review these before your vacations. I expect them on my desk by the end of the week.  
>Welcome back.<br>Cap. Gates."

Beckett makes a face but there is no one to see. She sighs and open the first folder. The sooner she starts, the sooner she'll be done.

As minutes go by, her colleagues come in. They all stop by her desk at some point making jokes about her long vacations. Their way to say that they care. She appreciates it and tell them so... by snapping back. She knows the NYPD way is a strange way. But she likes it.

When Ryan and Esposito come in she can't help but look at them while tapping her watch.

"Well, Beckett, some of us like to do our job and arrest at least a murderer in the morning", Esposito says. Behind them, a disheveled young man is walking, hands cuffed behind his back, between two officers. They direct him to the interrogation room and close the door.

"Care to watch how the pros do it ?", Ryan adds, winking at her.

She shows them the pile of paperwork on her desk. "I'll pass."

* * *

><p>Back at the loft, Castle awakes with a groan. He rolls on his back, lying across his king size bed, and covers his face with both hands. He hates waking up to the feeling that he didn't get enough sleep. He hates even more waking up after such a beautiful dream. He's telling himself, once more, that he needs to stop having such vivid dreams about her. He doesn't know how he can still look her in the eye. His arms drop on the mattress, his body forming a cross. He lifts his head when he feels his elbow crumpling a paper. He takes it, frowning. Lifting himself up on one arm, he reads out loud :<p>

"Good Morning. Solly ? (Hu ?) … Sorry. Couldn't sleep and didn't dale... dare (!) to wake you. You looked like you needed sleep. I went to work. See you there ? xxx, KB. PS : Did something wear you out ?"

His heart is doing summersault in his chest, a warm feeling overwhelms him as he remembers this wasn't a dream. "The little minx !" He throws himself back on the bed, both fists pumped up in the air. "Yes !"

Around 11, Castle makes his entrance in the bullpen, all smile and swagger, coffee in hand. The three detectives are sitting against Esposito's desk, facing the murder board from the case the two men just closed. They are walking their boss through their investigation.

"Incredible", Beckett says, focusing on the white board. Her heart pounding because she saw Castle enter. She hopes he will act "normal".

"Good morning Detective..zzzzzzz", he greets, adding the plural even if he only has eyes for her. He gives her the coffee and looks embarrassed when both Ryan and Esposito extend their hands, as if waiting for a cup as well. Ryan makes a show at being disappointed. Esposito glares. Beckett bites her lips to prevent laughing.

"What, it's not as if I ever brought you coffee before..."

They glare at him for the fun of it. Castle's eyes avert theirs, looking right, then left. He lets the moment pass.

"So, what are we working on ?", he asks when he reckons it's safe to talk.

"We just closed a case. Which you would know if you had come before", starts Ryan.

"Sorry, long night", Castle says, like a reflex. Beckett nearly chokes on her coffee.

"I meant for the last few weeks" Ryan adds. Castle goes to the same tactics as a few minutes ago. Advert eyes, look right, look left.

Esposito takes pity in the end and explains to him how they caught their killer. The young man killed his mother with a car accident because he thought she had poisoned his dad.

"She had ?"

"No, that's the sad part. The dad actually killed himself because he was going to go broke. Depressed, he disguised it in an anaphylactic shock after he ate at a restaurant so his family could have the insurance money", Ryan recounts.

"Ouch !"

* * *

><p>It's lunch time when Beckett's phone rings. Castle looks up from his (he's playing Angry birds). But even from his chair, he can only hear her side of the conversation.<p>

"Beckett... Ready ?.. Okay.. Yeah, I know the place... See you in five."

The writer is immediately on his feet.

"Where are we going ?", he asks excitedly.

Beckett rises as well and heads towards the elevator, knowing he will follow. She waits until the door close, then she steps into his personal space. She wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him full on the lips, forcefully but briefly.

"Hi", she says

"Hi", he says back, looking dazed. He kisses her again but she pulls away reluctantly as the doors open.

"So, where are we going ?", he repeats.

"I'm going to lunch with Lanie. You ? You go home", she tells him when they walk down the 12th's stairs to the street.

"What ?", Castle's tone is indignant. "What did I do ?"

"Nothing yet. But the more you stayed the more your face bore an expression of 'I've seen you naked'."

He can't help the grin that creeps on his face. "But I've seen you naked", he whispers, well aware that she will cut his balls if anyone from the NYPD hears him. Beckett's doesn't know if she wants to slap or kiss the leer away from his face. It doesn't matter, she won't do either in public.

"See what I mean ? So you go work on that, I'm going to lunch. And I'm seeing you tonight ? Maybe you could come by ?" She congratulates herself because her invitation sounded natural, not awkward, not rehearsed and her nerves barely showed.

"I'd love to" He smiles at her and leans in to kiss her again but sees just in time that they are still too close to the precinct, so he backs away. Instead, he brushes his hand against hers discreetly. "Until tonight."

He walks away and hail a taxi. She has to bite down the huge happy smile threatening to break out. Until he tuns back. "Oh ! And I wasn't even close to tired. But I'll show you worn out later..." He waggles his eyebrows before disappearing inside the yellow cab.


	5. Chapter 5

Here is next chapter. I wrote in a hurry and proof read also in a hurry but I wanted to update. Mistakes are bad, so please, feel free to point them to me. Thanks.

Warning. The end is strong T, bordering on M.

* * *

><p>From her place in the back of the little restaurant, Lanie waves to signal her presence to her friend.<p>

"Hey Lanie !", Beckett greets as she slides in the chair in front of the ME. She smiles when she sees the plate with her favorite salad already there.

"Hey girl ! So how was Europe ? I want to know everything !"

"Well, it was great, amazing really. We went all over the place", she starts. Picking up her fork, she begins eating and devilishly waits until Lanie is taking a sip of water to deliver her next line. "But I thought you might be more interested in details about me and Castle."

The ME doesn't disappoint her. She spills water all over the table. Grabbing a napkin, she glares at Beckett.

"What. Are you. Talking about !", she hisses.

Beckett smiles and bites her lip, blushing slightly. She doesn't need to talk, Lanie understands loud and clear. "Oh my god, Kate ! It's about damn time. When, where ?... How ?", she asks loudly with a glint in her eyes.

"Lanie !", Beckett shushes her, but continues. "Last night, after I came back, I went to his place. I needed to tell him sorry for lying to him before."

"Lying to him ?"

"Well... When I was shot, in the cemetery, he told me he... he told me he loved me. But at the hospital after my surgery, I said I didn't remember anything about the shooting."

"Oh, honey !"

"I know, Lanie, I know."

"So you came clean last night. How did he react ?"

"He was upset. I think he still is. But I explain why I lied and it seems he understands that I wasn't ready."

"And you are now ?"

"Yes."

Lanie doesn't say anything, waiting for her to go on. Impatient, she presses on "and ?"

"And I spent the night."

"Oh come on, Kate, gimme more ! How was it ?"

Beckett rolls her eyes. "It was nice... More than nice actually."

Lanie lifts an eyebrow and Beckett shakes her head. "I'm not giving you details, in public, over lunch !"

"Fine. I'll wait for our next girls night."

They both go back to their plates and Lanie nearly misses Beckett's quiet confession.

"He has a way to be both sweet and wild." Her face is down but Lanie can see the blush.

"Girls night won't come soon enough. Tonight ?"

"Sorry, I have plans." The blush intensifies.

"With writer boy ? Or should I say writer-man, now ?" Lanie laughs.

Beckett chuckles : "Oh, man, definitely writer-man !"

* * *

><p>Writer man is late. Beckett circles inside her apartment, anxious. "What if he doesn't come ?", she wonders out loud. He texted earlier he would be at her place at 8 with food. She looks at her watch, it's 8:02. So, maybe, she is a bit overreacting. She second guesses her choice of wardrobe. "I should have changed", she says and heads towards her room. She stops "No. What I need the most is to stop talking to myself." Her hands untangling the knots in her long hair, she rationalizes that it is Castle, just Castle. She knows him, she's known him for nearly five years. Has it been five years already ? She is going to recount but the knock at the door interrupts her.<p>

She runs more than she walks to the door. Castle gives her a shy smile, holding up the bag of chinese take aways in one hand, a bouquet of red roses in the other. She takes in his casual but smart appearance. Jeans and a black blazer over a red shirt (it matches the roses). "You still like chinese, right ?"

She takes the flowers from him, giving him a kiss on the cheek as he steps in. "Still my favorite. The flowers too. Thank you."

While Beckett gets busy taking care of the flowers, Castle is getting the boxes of food out. She observes him discreetly. She knows him well enough to see he's a bit tense. He catches her looking. Despite her behavior in the elevator and the invitation, he's also well aware that she left him this morning when he was still asleep. He takes his time with the takeout, buying time. She walks up to him. She wants to tell him it's okay. That they're okay. That she wants this relationship, him.

With one hand she pushes him away from the table, sliding between it and his body. She cups his face in her hands and brings his lips to hers. She kisses him deeply and slowly. His hands come to her waist, pulling her closer. Their tongues are dueling and Beckett doesn't want to stop. She feels her desire for him grow, she's losing control. She lets out a moan and Castle break the kiss.

"Wow", he says. His lips are swollen, his eyelids mid closed.

"I want you", Beckett whispers. She presses her body against his, capturing his lips once more.

"Now ?" Castle's question is muffled in her mouth. Beckett doesn't bother answering. She works quickly on his shirt. Getting onboard with her plan, Castle puts his hands underneath her blouse, helping her out of it. He then moves to her pants while she continues struggling with his shirt. Before she knows it, she's stepping out of her pants and underwear. She's just beginning to work on his belt and pushing his pants and bowers down. She grasps at her last notion of seemliness and starts pulling Castle to the couch. She's so not having sex in her kitchen.

Still kissing, they stumble away from the table. But while Beckett heads towards the couch, Castle thinks they're going to the bedroom. With his pants still around his ankles, he trips and falls on top of Beckett on the hardwood floor.

"You okay ?", he asks, concerned. But Beckett is on a mission. One hand sneaks between them. She shows him exactly what she wants.

"Here ?", he squeaks. Beckett choses to whisper her very dirty answer in his ear. She watches with glee as his eyes darken with lust. They move together, harder and faster, just like she asks him to, breathing dirty words against his mouth and neck. He's pinning her down, his fingers lacing around her wrists above her head. He is fascinated as she comes undone beneath him. He's afraid he's going to lose it too soon but he feels her shudder around him. She's shouting a loud "Castle !" and he lets himself go as well.

He thinks he might have lost consciousness for a few seconds. Even if Beckett doesn't complain, he knows he's crushing her, so he rolls over. She's still panting, eyes closed, next to him.

"You know, you won't be able to admonish me anymore", he says once he has caught his breath. She turns to him, eyes wide.

"What ?"

"When you're angry because I didn't stay put or something", he explains with a wicked grin, " you shout 'Castle !'. Well after... that. No way I'll ever feel admonished."

"Shut up", Beckett says, getting up, but her tone his playful. His last name escaped her this time. Last night, she was careful to call him Rick.

She goes for her clothes and Castle gasps.

"Oh shit, Kate, I'm sorry !", he exclaims, sitting up. She turns to him, alarmed. "Your back, it's... I was too rough, I shouldn't have", he continues. Beckett rotates her neck to see what he means. She catches a glimpse of the red marks due to the friction with the floor.

"Don't worry. Just carpet burns", she states with a shrug.

"Hardwood burns in this case", he corrects as he gets up. He stops and winces.

"You okay ?"

Castle shakes his head no. "I think I busted my knee." They stare at each other with tight smiles. None of them wants to say it but they're both thinking : 'We're too old for this shit.' They break into fits of giggles. One hour later, they are eating, curled up on Beckett's couch. A pack a ice is secured on Castle's right knee.


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry for the delay. Life's got in the way. Here's another short chapter. Tell me what you think. :-)

* * *

><p>When Castle arrives at the crime scene, he knows immediately that something is not right. The police officer who lets him behind the yellow tape and into the downtown apartment is not returning his smile. From down the corridor, he can see Lanie's somber face. The three detectives face away from him but they look tense to him. He approaches carefully, afraid he will recognize the victim. One step closer and he can see the body, lying between the sofa and the table. Male, in his 30's, tall, brown hair... He doesn't know him.<p>

"Hey", he says, glancing at Beckett. They still haven't told the boys about their relationship. It's only been a week. Lanie promised to remain silent until they – well, Kate was ready to tell them.

In the few hours since he has seen her, something happens. She left his loft this morning with a smile and a spring in her step. Her face is now closed, so are Esposito's and Ryan's.

"What's wrong ?", Castle asks.

"Mason Tyler, 32, shot with a .45, professional hit", Lanie starts.

"He is... was on the jury for the Wayrman case", Beckett finishes. Castle's head shot up.

"Your mother's case."

"We're waiting for the D.A." Ryan says.

"There won't be a mistrial, but it's a hell of a coincidence", Esposito adds.

Castle nods : "Intimidation... Ka.. Beckett, you're okay ?" He wants so badly to hug her. From what he can see she wants it too but it's not the time nor the place.

"I'm fine." She gives him a tight smile. The moment is interrupted by the DA.

"It's my worst nightmare", Tristan Wilder sums up. "Hello detectives, doctor... and M. Castle."

The writer shakes the offered hand. It's the first time the two men meet. Castle takes in the expensive dark suit, blue shirt and sensitive tie, the light upturn of his mouth and piercing eyes. The man is a lawyer, alright.

All the attention then goes back to the victim. The DA gives the green light for the body to be removed. Discretion being the key word for the impending investigation.

"We also need to talk about a protection detail for the other jurors. The trial is next week, I'm not taking any risk. I'll meet you all at your precinct. I need to talk to the judge", Wilder says walking out the door.

"Ryan, Esposito. See what you can find with the surveillance cameras around here. Castle and I will start interrogating the neighbors."

Beckett's tone is professional, but Castle knows better. She's shaken. So when he's sure they are alone, about to knock on yet another neighbor's door, he pulls her into a tight hug. She returns it but quickly pulls away.

"Not here", she whispers but she is smiling with gratitude. It's not even close to the comfort he wants to give her but it'll do for now.


	7. Chapter 7

As usual, no beta. So sorry for the mistakes I missed. Don't hesitate to point them out. Thanks.

* * *

><p>When Castle and Beckett get back to the precinct, they have the certitude it was indeed a professional hit. But certitude isn't proof. The killer was very careful. The neighbors didn't hear a thing and none saw anything out of the ordinary. Except for the teenager from across the corridor finding the open door to the apartment.<p>

"Maybe Ryan and Esposito will find something on the camera surveillance footage", he offers a grim-looking Beckett. She stops typing for a second to give him a pointed look. "Yeah, not likely, I know." He slumps in his chair.

"Beckett !", the shout startles them both. Gates is calling from the threshold of her office. The detective gets up, her partner following behind her. "Not you Castle !", Gates barks. He's about to protest when he catches Beckett quick glance. Her expression is clear : 'Don't pick up a fight'. Castle sits back in his chair, pouting, his left fist on his cheek to support his head. When he hears the door of the captain's office close, he gets up again and casually walk to the break room. On his slow journey, he tries to understand what's going on. Both women are huddled over the desk. A conference call, he thinks. They're listening but the speaker isn't loud enough to carry to the bullpen. If he walked any slower, he would not be moving. Fearing to be busted by Gates, he decides to check on Ryan's and Esposito's progress with the video.

Inside the office, Beckett is starting to wish Castle were here. He always knows how to win an argument. Wilder is updating them after his meeting with the judge. The trial is maintained at the same date, with another juror. US Marshals will be protecting the members of the jury.

"I need discretion on this. Not a word to a reporter. And, Detective Beckett, I need you off this case."

"What ? Sir, why ?"

"Because you're too close to it. I won't..."

"Exactly. I know this case, I'm the best asset this case can have ! Sir..."

"I was saying... I won't let my star witness put herself in danger. Do I have to remind you : you were shot by one the of defendant ?" Wilder's tone is firm but soft. He likes Beckett and understands her drive. But he needs a clear win on this. He can't have another investigation tainted because she is Johanna Beckett's daughter. The first one will be difficult enough to explain. He's a political player too, and if he has to pull the "shooting" card to get what he wants, he does.

Beckett grits her teeth as flashes of that day wash over her. She feels Gates' eyes on her and tries to keep it together. The new captain has said very little until now. Sensing her detective is regrouping, she takes the phone and shut the speaker off.

"Of course, sir. We'll not do anything that could hurt the case", she says, diplomatically. She listens for a while, speaking only to agree. Eventually, she ends the call. Meanwhile, Beckett has sat down.

"The DA thinks it's necessary you have a protection detail too. It'll be NYPD. You're off the case", Beckett opens her mouth to protest but Gates stops her with a hand in the air. "But Esposito and Ryan stay on it. I'm putting Karpowski to help. Your writer can help too. As for you, you'd better stay close to... tidy your desk or something. Just stay in the buidling." Gates sits down at her desk, putting her glasses on : the meeting is over. Beckett bites her smile down. As she's about to walk out, Gates speaks, without looking up. "Don't make me regret this, Detective ! And remember what the DA asked for : discretion."

"Yes sir !"

* * *

><p>In the video room, the three men fight to not fall asleep in front of all the monitors.<p>

"There's nothing there", Ryan sighs with a tired voice. The task is so dull that no one pause when Beckett enters the room.

"What did you find ?"

"Nothing", Esposito says. "What did Gates want ?"

"It was the D.A. actually. I'm off the case."

"What !", Castle's outburst startles a nearly asleep Ryan in front of the TV.

"Calm down. Gates letting me work it... unofficially."

"Unofficially ?" Esposito is skeptic.

"I don't get it ether, but I'm not about to dwell on it..." Beckett shrugs.

"Hey, what's that ?" Ryan suddenly asks, pointing at a figure on the video.

The three others lean over his shoulder to take a better look.

"That's the girl who discovered the body, coming in the building. And that's..."

"Probably our killer. Look ! The guy is walking and then, seeing the girl he adjusts his cap and turns away", Ryan says as he rewinds the tape.

"Did he touched something ?" Castle asks.

Ryan rewinds one more time. "No", the three detectives say simultaneously, a little disappointed.

"Then we need to speak to that girl...", Castle adds, matter of factly.

"She fainted and knocked her head after giving the alarm. She went to the hospital", Ryan explains.

"Wait a minute...I think I saw something earlier..." Esposito goes back to his monitor and rewinds a tape. It's a view of the main street but a corner an alley is visible. He stops when the same man is seen throwing his cap in the alley's trash can. "He got rid of the cap because of the girl."

"And he must not have seen this camera !" Ryan approves, high fiving his partner.

"Ryan, you go to talk to the girl at the hospital. Bring Karpowski with you. Esposito, you go find that cap with Castle. I will look at the rest of the footage just in case."

"Is that how you are off the case, bossing us around ?" Esposito teases as he walks out.

"I'm just so use to it, Esposito", she jokes back.

* * *

><p>Later that night, the team gather around the murder board in the conference room. The teenager who discovered the body was still too shaken to be helpful when Ryan and Karpowski talked to her. As for Castle and Esposito, they spent the entire afternoon in a garbage container but they got the cap.<p>

"The lab should have some results tomorrow", Esposito explains.

Beckett puts her hand to the back of her skull, gripping her hair. "Good. The rest of the footage was a waste of time, though."

She's about to send everyone home when Gates enters the room. "Beckett, your protection detail is waiting downstairs for you. You'd better go home...", she adds towards the other detectives and Castle.

They all look at Beckett.

"Protection detail ?", Castle asks. He's concerned but a little upset she didn't tell him.

"DA's order. Just a precaution."

"Well, you'd better go then", Ryan says.

"Yeah, we'll have better luck tomorrow. We'd all better go home", she says, getting up.

Esposito, Ryan and Karpowski don't move.

"Well...", Karpowski says. "I don't know about you guys but I think I'll stay around. See if I can match guns for hire in the system with our guy on camera." Both men nods. "I'll get the coffee", she says before exiting the room.

Beckett smiles and starts to sit down but Ryan stops her. "Hu hu, Beckett. Gates says you go home."

"Ryan..." Beckett's tone is a warning, but the young detective doesn't care. "Don't make us call her back", Esposito's smile is way to sweet. Beckett narrows her eyes at him.

Castle has been observing the entire exchange. He doesn't know if he should stay or go with her. And if he goes with her, to her place or his ? His loft is more secure, but this time, her apartment hasn't blown up. Does she want to keep up the appearances about their relationship ?

"Fine", Beckett folds."Good night guys. But seriously, don't forget to go home." Castle is still hesitating when she calls him from the bullpen. "Castle, you coming ?" He looks at her, then looks at Ryan and Esposito. They all exchange glances. The two male detectives feel left out at the silent communication between their colleagues.

"You're right", Beckett finally admits. She walks back inside, closing the door behind her. She puts her hands on top the back of a chair. She looks down and speaks, sounding a little embarrassed. "Hum... Guys... Castle and I, we're.. hum... together now."

"Oh God !", Ryan exhales dramatically, falling back in his chair. "You scared me. I thought you were going to make some big announcement or something."

She looks up at him and shakes her head as she sees his big grin. He's feeding the birds with his partner.

"About damn time !" Esposito says.

Beckett rolls her eyes and leaves, glad they don't make a big deal out of it. But she's pretty sure the teasing will come as soon as tomorrow. Castle follows her. His smile fades when he catches his friends signaling him with their hands. Ryan's two fingers goes from his eyes to Castle, while Esposito makes pretty clear is going to hurt him if he hurts Beckett. Castle rushes out. Once in the elevator Beckett turns to him.

"You okay, you're a little pale."

"I'm just worried."

Beckett mistakes his concern for his well being for concern for hers. She takes his hand. "It's gonna be fine."


	8. Chapter 8

After some debate, Castle manages to convince Beckett that his loft is safer than her apartment. She still is concerned about the uniforms knowing she spent the night at the author's place. It's with reluctance that she tells them the plan for the night.

"I'm picking up some stuff at my place, then I'm going to... hum... Castle's place."

"Good, his building is easier to watch, plus there's a doorman", Morris says to his partner. He was on her last security detail for the Dunn case. The young policeman at his side, Blake, just nods. Morris smiles at Beckett. "Let's go then."

She lets out a sigh of relief, no knowing smirks... yet.

After dinner, Martha retreated when Castle decided that a scifi movie would take Beckett's mind off the case. Beckett would never admit it but he's right. The sheer geekiness of Galaxy Quest combined with the warmth of Castle's body against her make wonders for her state of mind. She can't help laughing at him when he mouthes every "never give up, never surrender !"

"Oh my god, you're such a nerd !"

He gives her an insulted look. "But a cute one, right ?", he replies, sticking his lower lip out. She grabs it between her fingers before pulling him in for a kiss. The chaste kiss quickly becomes a make out session, until she pulls back, breathless and gets up.

"Pause the movie, I'm getting a glass of water."

He does so then kneel on the couch to watch her in the kitchen. "You can say that I'm irresistible, you know. I won't think less of you." He grins, waggling his eyebrows.

She rolls her eyes and holds her glass up.

"Do you want some ?"

"Oh Yes ! I want some", he leers.

"Water, Castle..." she laughs.

He shrugs. "Why not." He continues to stare at her as she pours a second glass and walks back to the couch. He's thinking he will never get tired of looking at her.

"Stop staring", but her words are softened by her shy smile.

He's about to embarrass her some more when a deafening sound startles him. On his left, one of the window just shattered. The yelp that escapes him turns into a scream as he witnesses Beckett falling to the floor. He jumps over the back of the sofa and runs to her.

"Kate ! Kate !" There's blood and he's in a panic. He's crouching over her. His hands touches her everywhere trying to find where the blood comes from.

"It's okay", she says from the floor. "We need to get out of sight."

She gets on her feet, bent low. She pushes Castle behind a pillar. He still is hyperventilating.

"You're bleeding !"

She looks down, her right forearm is indeed covered in blood. She swipes it away gently.

"It's just a graze." She pulls down her phone and starts to dial.

"Morris. Just to tell you we're fine. Call me as soon as you get this."

"Voicemail ?" Castle asks, worried. She doesn't answer, already crawling to get to her gun.

"Kate !" He calls from the pillar.

"Stay back. I just need my gun."

"You think they're gonna come up ?", he says, his voice going way high.

"I don't know, Castle ! Morris isn't answering, I don't know what's going on", she snaps and immediately regrets it. They're both on edge and remain silent, sitting on the floor of his living room, Beckett clutching her gun. They relax a bit when they hear the howling police sirens in the street.

"The calvary", Castle sighs. Beckett's phone rings and she picks it up quickly.

"Beckett !.. Yeah we're both fine, we took cover." She listens for a while looking at Castle all the time. He holds her gaze, waiting as patiently as he can.

"Morris called for back up as soon as they saw the window explode. He and Blake then went into a building across the street. Blake apparently ran into the sniper, they fought in the stairs and fell. They're both in critical condition", she relates.

"Damn !" Castle starts with the knock on their door, alarmed.

"It's Ryan and Esposito" She gets up and goes to open the door for them.

The two detectives enter the loft, followed by medics and a CSU team that starts working immediately. Beckett explains what happened as a medic examine her arm. The CSU team soon find the bullet that missed her and starts calculating the point of origin.

"With the window and the distance, the sniper had close to zero chance to do an accurate shot", a cop from CSU tries to reassure her.

"Well it was to close anyway", says a somber Castle from the kitchen. He's crowding Beckett's personal space, his front to her back, a hand at her waist.

"It was a warning", Ryan realizes.

"Those bastards think they can weight on the trial by making you back down", Esposito adds.

"Well, I won't." Beckett's calm resolve always astonishes Castle. But this time it worries him as well.

Castle looks up and see Karpowski, stepping tentatively in his loft where CSU is still working. He beckons her over.

"Hey. You're okay ?", she asks them. They both nod so she continues. "Blake is on his way to the hospital. The sniper, on the other hand... His spine was crushed and he bled out. The medics couldn't reanimate him. Lanie is on her way. We're working to find out who he is. No luck so far." Beckett curses under her breath. This means no suspect to interrogate, less chance to figure out who hired him. Or more accurately, since they have a pretty good idea who may be behind it, how he hired him. The guy is supposed to be in prison, awaiting his trial.

"How did the guys knew in which building to go in ?" Castle asks.

"According to Morris, Blake noticed some weird activity on a floor there. Then it was the only place with no light around. They figured it was worth a shot. Two stairs, they split and voilà."

The detectives look at one another. They know their colleague didn't follow protocol. But they also know they were trying to maximize the chance of catching the guy. Everyday, police officers take risk of the sort. Because sometimes, protocol doesn't get the job done. They don't have time to dwell on it too long though. Tristan Wilder storms into the loft.

"Beckett !"

"Sir."

"Glad you're okay. Those gentlemen here", he points at the two US Marshals accompanying him. "are your new security detail. You're leaving New York."

* * *

><p>Okay, so she has to leave. But with or without Castle ? I don't have made up my mind yet. Help me decide ?<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

I feel so bad : I forgot about Martha ! So this chapter is super short but I couldn't let Martha like this.

Thank you for the reviews, I guess almost no one wants Castle away from Beckett... Well, that's not really a surprise.

Also, I'm not really sure I understand how the US Marshals work, so If I'm incorrect, my apologies.

Plus, special thanks to shipperfaerie who pointed out some mistakes.

* * *

><p>"What is going on ?" Martha's voice booms from the top of the stairs. Castle's eyes widens.<p>

"Mother !" He gives Beckett a panicked look but she seems to feel as guilty as he does. They never thought to check on his mother.

"Richard," Martha is now descending the stairs. "What are doing all these people here ?" Castle is frozen in place, mouth agape. Beckett comes to his rescue :

"Martha, did you sleep through the whole thing ?"

"I take two sleeping pills and I wear ear plugs, of course I slept through the whole th.. Oh my god ! What happened to the window ?"

Sensing the fear in Martha's voice, Ryan steps in.

"Come on, Mrs R, I'm going to explain," he says, stirring her to Castle's office.

Back in the kitchen, the conversation goes back to the DA's announcement.

"Leaving ? I can't leave !" Beckett hisses at Wilder, frustration tainting her tone. To avoid the situation to get out of control, one of the marshals steps forward. She puts an open file on the counter.

"Don't worry Detective Beckett. You're not entering WITSEC. The DA just thinks it's best to protect you from an undisclosed location. I'm Lucy Darren. This is my partner, Luke Farrow. There was just an attempt on your life tonight. We need to get you situated in one of our houses as soon as possible. You'll stay there until and for the duration of the trial. You can take some of your stuff but no cell phone, no computer." The agent has spoken firmly. Beckett is biting her lower lip as Castle's hand is drawing circle on her lower back.

"What about my dad ?"

"He isn't a witness," interrupts the DA. "But I already ordered a NYPD protection detail."

Beckett nods approvingly. She wants to ask something else but hesitates.

"The NYPD can also take care of Mr Castle and his mother's security," the other agent, who was observing so far, offers.

"No. I'm coming with her," Castle says firmly. Both marshals look at The DA who shrugs.

"Okay. What about your mother ?" Darren asks.

Esposito is about volunteer for her protection when the diva reappears.

"Don't worry about me. I'm going to California. I'll take care of Alexis." She comes around to were Castle and Beckett are standing. Her face is serious. Castle kisses her cheek, whispering a quick thank you.

Darren snaps the file shut : "Good. If all is settled, I'll let you two pack and we'll get going."


	10. Chapter 10

It's been five days and Beckett can't take it anymore. The house in Philadelphia is quite nice. It's not far from the airport, they can see the river from the upper level. But Castle and her aren't allowed to go outside, they are barely allowed near the windows. She's flipping through the channels, from reruns to reality shows. On her right on the couch, the young marshal Farrow tries to act as if he's not annoyed. On her left, Castle is oblivious, writing furiously on a legal pad, since he couldn't bring his laptop.

"How's your saturday afternoon going, Luke ?" he asks, barely looking up at the marshal.

"Fine," Farrow replies curtly.

"Anything you wanted to watch on TV ?"

Beckett glares at Castle and throws the remote control on the table. She gets up with a frustrated growl and storms out of the room.

Farrow makes a move to follow her but Castle stops him.

"I've got it."

The agent looks at his colleague, alerted by the movement. She shrugs and Farrow sits back, remote control in hand. Castle smirks when he hears the telltale sounds of a sports game behind him.

He finds Beckett in their room upstairs. She's sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I'm going crazy, doing nothing here ! I feel like I should..."

"Do something ?" He sits close to her, not quite touching her. "You will. It's saturday, the trial starts on monday. It won't be long now."

"How come you are the patient one here ?" She's edgy and whinny. He chuckles because she's right. For the past few days, she has been the one bouncing off the walls. While he can occupies his days with writing, she is not used to so much free time. He puts his arm around her shoulders and rocks her playfully.

"Oh, Kate, Kate, Kate." She glares at him once again. He stares back with adoration. "I kinda like this role reversal."

"I don't !"

"No kidding," he laughs.

She swats his thigh. He catches her hand with his free one and quickly pushes her down on the mattress. He hovers above her, smiling. "I know a very good way to pass the time," he says before descending to capture her lips. She moans but breaks the kiss.

"There are people downstairs," she points out. He rises on his arms.

"You're right !" He jumps off the bed and she misses his warmth. She's about to protest when she sees him kicking the door shut. He jumps right back on her, pushing her higher on the bed in the process. His cold hands, slipping underneath her shirt.

"Rick !" she yelps. But any argument is forgotten as he kisses her.

Downstairs the two marshals look at each other knowingly when they hear the giggles from upstairs. Farrow turns up the volume of the game way up. Darren goes back to her surveillance.

* * *

><p>After dinner, reinforcement arrives. The two new marshals takes their posts outside. In the house, Castle is insisting they all play a board game.<p>

"Come on ! I found an old trivial pursuit. It's gonna be fun !"

"I'm in, Castle," Farrow grins. "But I think the ladies might be scared."

Darren folds her arms. "Oh, I'm not. Beckett ?"

The detective walks to Castle, snatching the box from his hands. "We're gonna wipe your butts, gentlemen."

One hour later, Castle and Farrow are in a deep confabulation.

"What did 100,000 self-conscious American women buy 200,000 of in 1980?" Lucy Darren repeats with annoyance. Castle is about to answer when all the lights suddenly go out. The two agents' and the detective's instincts kick in immediately. They all go for their gun. Farrow rushes to Castle and Beckett, protecting them while Darren goes investigate. She first checks the fuses. The breakdown isn't coming from there. She tries calling then texting her colleagues outside. But since she doesn't see them and they didn't enter when the lights went off, she's pretty sure something bad happened to them. Her heartbeat speeds up. This is not good at all. Crouching, she walks back to the main area where the others are waiting. Castle, Beckett and Farrow are squatting behind the couch, out of view. There's silent communication between the two federal partners. He tilts his head up, she shakes her head no.

"So what do we do ?" he whispers.

"We call for back up"

"Already done."

They are all silent, trying to come up with a plan. They don't have time though as five men in black gear and masks barge in, automatic weapons drown. The gunfight soon breaks out. In the dark, the situation is pretty confusing. Beckett can hear Castle calling her name, she calls him back while shooting.

"Just shut up," Darren orders both. She's trying her best to cover Beckett. But the dark men outnumber them. Soon, two manage to isolate Beckett and grab her.

"Fuck !" The two marshals shout at the same time. Castle hasn't noticed Beckett's disappearance yet. With no gun, he's too busy trying to dodge the bullets. The commando soon retreats, in a hail of bullets.

The whole thing lasted less than five minutes. The two agents run out as soon as they can but the commando is gone. They go for their cars but the tires have been lacerated.

"Fuck ! Fuck ! Fuck !" Farrow shouts kicking them, enraged.

Sirens can be heard in the distance, coming closer. Too late.

Castle finally comes out.

"Where's Kate ?" Farrow is still attacking the car. Darren doesn't dare answering the writer.


	11. Chapter 11

Beckett wakes up with a pounding headache. She blinks a few times, trying to move. To no avail. She's sitting on a chair, her hands tied behind her, her feet together. She's not blindfolded but she can't see anything. The room she's in is dark, cold and wet. She hears plics and plocs somewhere behind her. Drops falling. She's alone, she thinks, because when she tries to jump from her chair, nothing moves. She debates internally whether to shout to get help or not. Maybe it would just make her kidnappers come. Worth the risk, she decides.

"Help! Help!" She shouts again and again at the top of her lungs.

Finally, a light appears on her right. A door. A dark figure is heading towards her.

"Stop screaming. No one can hear you. Well... no one who will help, that is."

"Who are you? Let me out!" The man, in a ski mask, remains silent. He walks around her, checking her bounds, then leaves.

She's alone again, with the sharp sounds of water hitting the floor.

* * *

><p>It's been five hours since the abduction of Beckett and Castle finally calmed down. Ryan and Esposito convinced him that his yelling wasn't helping anyone. They has also arrived with news. They were all back in the house. Roads have been closed quite early. Making sure that wherever Beckett was, she was still in the perimeter.<p>

"We found where your shooter's riffle came from. The thing was paid in cash, " starts Esposito. Castle sighs, disappointed. "But... the guy, not the shooter, also took a disposable phone. We had the thing under surveillance. Tonight, the thing was used. Around here..."

Castle gives his first smile of the night. "We're waiting for the FBI to give us the location. "

"The FBI is helping?" Darren butts in.

"Yeah, Agent Shaw. We asked for a favor."

"Jordan Shaw?" Castle looks delighted and relieved.

Esposito phones rings. "That's her," he says, answering the phone and getting his pen and pad ready.

"Yeah? Nice! Thank you." He scribbled something down. "We've got an address."

Everybody is on their feet immediately and on the phone to set a rescue plan in motion.

* * *

><p>The sound of the dripping water is driving her crazy. After a quick break, Beckett starts moving her feet and hands against the restraints again. Her wrists and ankles are hurting but she won't let herself give up. Suddenly, there's commotion outside. She stills, concentrating on the noises outside. She's trying to make sense of it when a man in a ski mask barges in. It may be the same who came earlier, she doesn't know. She barely has time to register because he hits her on the head with the cross of his gun. Before passing out, she catches a glimpse of an army knife's blade. "Im dead," she thinks. And all goes to black.<p>

* * *

><p>Castle is fidgeting outside the warehouse where they think Beckett is detained. Sitting against the hood of a police car, he scans the area for her. The swat team along with the marshals, Ryan and Esposito went in a few minutes ago. There was no shooting... yet.<p>

His whole body tenses when he sees two figures coming out of the other side of the building. One is dragging the other awkwardly and his heart jumps. He would recognize her anywhere in the dark, from 500 feet or more. It's Beckett. Without thinking, he runs towards them but the man is already loading an unconscious Beckett in the back of a dark sedan and drives away.

"No!", he shouts, speeding up helplessly behind the car. In the warehouse, hell has broken loose. Bullets are fired in between shouts, teargas escapes from the open door. Ryan and Esposito come out coughing. Seeing Castle runs after the car they immediately understand Beckett is in it.

"Castle!" Esposito calls. "Damn it!"

Instead of running after him they rush to the cars, starting the chase.

* * *

><p>In the car, Beckett is coming round sightly. She feels like crap and dizzy. She stops a moan from escaping her lips. She lying in the back seat. She can hear the raged breathing of her kidnapper. He's driving recklessly, his gun still in his hand. Beckett has to think quickly. Now may be her only chance to do something. She takes a moment to gather herself before jumping on the guy. He groans in surprise and the struggle begins, making the car drifts left and right.<p>

* * *

><p>Esposito sees the black sedan takes the road up, overlooking the river. He follows and is the first to go past the still running Castle. Soon they watch in horror as the sedan swerves and falls off the edge and into the water.<p>

"Fuck !" He takes the radio and informs Ryan.

The young detective makes the tires of his own car screech when he takes the abrupt turn to the other road, at the river's level.

When Castle arrives at the edge where the car fell, Esposito is outside his car, on the phone to get help. The writer runs right past him and jumps off the cliff after the car.

"Castle!" Esposito is shocked. He bends over just in time to see him hit the water head first. "Stupid!" Ryan is just pulling up down there. Esposito climbs back in the car and drives off to join him.

* * *

><p>Having seen Castle's dive, Ryan decides to follow with his flashlight. He takes the time to take his jacket and shoes off to be more at ease in the water. His eyes stings because of the cold water, but he needs to see. He quickly finds the car, the river is not too deep there. No sign of Castle though. He swims to the driver's door. Inside, they are both unconscious. He fights with the door. Finally, he uses his flashlight to broke the window. It's only then that he notices that the kidnapper's head is blown off. Pushing him aside, he grasps Beckett by the arms and jerks her out. He needs to breath but doesn't want to let Beckett behind. With one last pull, he breaks her free and swim upwards with her.<p>

He gasps when they reaches the surface. Two men, he assumes are from the Philadelphia PD, help him carry Beckett to the shore where Esposito is waiting. The medics start CPR on her immediately.

"You were quick!" His partner says as he helps him up.

"Yeah, I couldn't wait for you. I know you hate the water," he jokes from the ground, knowing full well Esposito would have jumped too if he hasn't been needed on the surface to indicate where the car disappeared.

"Where's Castle?" Ryan asks, looking around. Esposito shakes his head.

"They are looking for him too," he answers indicating other men still in the water, diving and coming up regularly.

They take their attention back to Beckett as she wakes up and spits water.

"Castle!" she calls.

"Still in the water," Esposito knows it's best to be straightforward with her. She crawls to them, in spite of the medics' efforts to make her lie down.

"What?"

"He jumped after you," Ryan explains. Fear flashes on her face and she does something both men barely see her do. She breaks down. Closer to her, Ryan cradles his crying boss in his arms. Esposito crouches and strokes her back gently. Both are at loss with what to do.

The despair doesn't last long though. Somewhere downstream, a sputtering Castle reappears. Esposito is on his feet."Castle, she's here!" he yells. The men of the PPD swim to help the poor writer. But he heard Esposito and he is now swimming like a mad man to the shore. Beckett's head has perked up. She makes a move but Ryan's arms tightens around her.

"I've got him," Esposito goes to meet Castle and helps him out of the river. He winces as he limps hurriedly to Beckett's side.

"Took you long enough!" She teases but the relief in her voice is plain to hear. Castle kneels down and wipes her tears away with his thumbs.

"Well, I have a busted knee thanks to you, remember?"

She laughs and coughs. He takes her away from Ryan. "I'm so glad you're okay," he whispers in her ear, hugging her close.

* * *

><p>Sorry it took so long. Man, those action scenes are hard to write. I hope it's not a pain to read. Anyway, Just another chapter left I think. Thanks for reading. And I always love reviews ;-)<p> 


	12. Chapter 12

Author's note : I did what I could with the legal lingo. I hope it's not too bad.  
>This is an epilogue of sort.<p>

* * *

><p>"Will the jury please rise. Will the defendant also please rise and face the jury. Madam Forelady, has your jury agreed upon your verdicts?"<p>

"We have."

"What say you, Madam Forelady, as to complaint number one wherein the defendant is charged with first degree murder. Is he guilty or not guilty?"

"Guilty."

The room is rustling with hushed sounds of approval. In the back of the courtroom, Beckett just closes her eyes. She feels Castle's hand tighten around hers. Suddenly, she doesn't want to be here anymore. She gets up, making Castle follow her. They won't hear the rest of the verdict but it doesn't matter. The man will be in jail for the rest of his life.

"You're okay?" Castle asks as they walk out of the building.

"I'm..." she pauses, assessing how she actually feels. "relieved."

He gives her a tight smile and she returns it. As they head for her car, she gets her phone out and starts texting. She receives an answer pretty quickly. She looks at it and starts the crown vic. He's curious but he knows better than to pry.

"So, where are we going?"

"My dad's waiting in a diner."

"Oh. Can you drop me off at my place?"

"No. You're going with me." He raises an eyebrow but she's focused on the road. He hasn't meet her dad since they're together.

Beckett slips her hand in his when they enter the diner. He smiles until he sees Jim Beckett in the back. Her dad. He tries to let go but she just squeezes it.

"What's wrong?" She asks.

He's embarrassed to feel like a teenager. "Hum. It's your dad."

"I'm an adult, Rick. Come on, he won't bite."

"Believe me, age has nothing to do with it," he grudges.

The two Becketts hug but as soon as they pull away, Kate's hand is back in his. Jim look at their clasped hands. He smiles at Kate then narrows his eyes at Castle.

"Rick."

The writer gulps. He knows that look and that tone. He often uses it on Alexis' boyfriends. No, he thinks, age doesn't change anything. Your daughter is always your little girl.

"Jim."

They sit in the booth and Beckett narrates the trial to her dad over burgers. He didn't want to be there. 'I'm not strong enough,' he said. Castle remains silent, observing the bond between the two of them. It's only when Kate excuses herself to go to the bathroom that he feels uncomfortable again. Even more so when she leans in and pecks his lips before leaving. Once alone, the two men stare at each other.

"So... You and Katie?"

"Yeah."

"About time!" Castle's eyes widen. "Don't look so surprised. Remember, I read your books." Castle hopes he is not blushing. He certainly feels hotter. He stammers a bit until Jim bursts out laughing. "Don't worry. I'm actually glad she has you." He grows serious before adding. "Thank you. For looking after her."

He gives him the same answer he gives her : "Always." Jim nods but before they can continue the conversation Beckett comes back.

"We have to get going, Dad. We're meeting Ryan, Esposito, Lanie and Jenny for drinks."

"Tell them I say hello." Jim and Castle shake hands, a silent communication passing between the two of them. When Jim hugs his daughter goodbye, he whispers in her ear : "He's a keeper."

"I know," she whispers back.

The end.


End file.
